Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1887-01-18
The Late Gen. Loring.


which occurred in New York on the
oath ult., closes the career of one of
the most remarkable of American sol
diers. We doubt if any officer of his
day had so varied and extended SER
vice. Commencing as Florida vol
unteer at the early age of fourteen,
he was first engaged in the battle OF
Wahoo swamp, (Dade's massacre) in
December 1885, and served success
sively through the Florida, Mexican,
Indian, (western) the late Civil and
the recent Egyptian wars. We are
permitted to publish the following let
ter, written just before setting out
on a Western tour last spring, and
from which he had returned but a
week or so before his death:
New YORK, 29th April, 1886.
Col. George Il. Portertield,
Chdrle$to,cn, W. "a:
Mr. DEAR OLD FRIEND 1t does my
heart good to hear from an old-time
Western Virginia comrade. To be
remembered kindly by one who has
shared with him the trials and dan
gers of war, always brings with it.
pleasing emotions, but from one who
so cheerfully and bravely bore HIM
self in the painfully exposed cam
paign which circlcd near his home,
your letter comes to me with no or
binary pleasure, and can truly say,
it is the most agreeable offering you
could have sent me.
would be very glad to meet you,
and talk over the pleasant reminis-
cences of the past, and tell my story
by land and flood, since the close OF
the war at home.
When the war ended, it left me
worse off than "Japhet in search of
his father l had not a single cent
to jingle in my pocket. Without home
or country, Othello's occupation gone,
like the son of man, had no place
to lay my head. Turned loose upon
the world, necessity compelled me to
become an American Bedouin,'
with the world for his scene of OPP
erations. l commenced my wander
ings, strange to say, contrary to the
universal order of travel. L turned
my face from the West to the East,
and sought refuge in that old land,
the cradle of the human family. where
the exile in all its history has received
a cordial welcome. Even one greater
than man hallowed its soil in tempo
rary repose, in the hospitality of the
Pagan, more generous than the re-
fined and cultivated people among
whom he saw the light. After ten
years of Eastern experience, not I'M
accompanied with danger, in one of
the ficrcest wars my fortunes were
ever engaged in, l am writing you
still wanderer, though I bear with
me .ftty-one gears, long life, since l
fired my first gun in. war.
''Time,'', they say, & makes all
things right If it don't, I can't
help It. I tried my best to make it
so, and as my race is very near run,
1 can never hope to enter the field
again, but leave it to those who with
better Judgment must know what is
best to smooth their wrinkled for
tunes, than an old soldier, whose sole
Occupation for. the next six months
Will be in chasing up gold mine in
Nevada, which he supposcs must be
there, rs he invested in one six years
ago; and as nothing has yet giittcred
to him, the determination has entered
his mind to make pilgrimage to the
golden shrine and uncarth the hid
den treasure. I-hopc to go about the
18th of next month.
If 1 should cross your path Mt any
time 1 shall hunt you up. Where l
shall be after five or six months is
more than can tell. l am anxious
to settle down for year, and COM
pletc 4 book 1 am now writing-'' the
"reminiscences of Fifty-one years. n
soldier on two continents and the bat
ties he has participated in," or some
such title as that. / wrote my book,
the Confederate Soldier in Egypt"
as an Grant courier of this one. which
[ shall write con amore, and with that
| shall rest from my lahors.
You must excuse the long letter I
have written you, and if You read it
with as much pleasure as have writ
ten it, l shall be gratiied.
With many kind wishes, truly your
friend, w. w. LoK1NG.